Quantifying Paleoproductivity from Biomass Estimates of Epifaunal Suspension Feeders: A Test of the Productivity Hypothesis in Latest Pliocene Tropical America

[000049]柯比，m . PI将通过分析巴拿马和哥斯达黎加的新第三纪和第四纪双壳类动物（如珍珠贝、牡蛎、chamids和arcids）的生物量增长，来验证热带美洲上新世晚期浮游生物生产力下降的假设。在上新世-更新世的边界上，每个分类群的生物量增长下降与生产力下降是一致的。此外，分析来自上升流地区（浮游生物生产力较高）的活双壳类动物的生物量增长将加快生物量增长。对悬浮食饵化石生物量的估算可以作为过去浮游生物生产力的相对度量。

0000495Kirby, MThe PI will test the hypothesis that planktonic productivity decreased in the latest Pliocene in tropical America by analyzing biomass growth in Neogene and Quaternary bivalves, such as pectenids, oysters, chamids, and arcids from Panama and Costa Rica. A decrease in biomass growth across the Plio-Pleistocene boundary for each taxon would be consistent with a drop in productivity. In addition, analysis of biomass growth in living epifaunal bivalves from upwelling areas (with higher planktonic productivity) will faster biomass growth. The estimation of biomass in fossil suspension feeders may be used as a relative measure for the amount of planktonic productivity in the past.